1983 boasts two of the great women playwrights whom the Lyric has championed over the years - Jennifer Johnston and Christina Reid. Set in 1920's Ireland, Johnston's Indian Summer follows Miranda Martin, her brother and British Army officer Andrew, and their attempts to suppress the Irish struggle for independence.

This premiere production featured Ciaran Hinds, Ian McElhinney, and Mairin O’Sullivan who had been nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Madge in the original Broadway production of Brian Friel’s Philadelphia, Here I Come! in 1966. A member of Aosdana, Johnston would premiere another of her plays, The Dessert Lullaby, at the Lyric in 1996.